do it for love

[penduli]

[ Every week is the same song and dance, but it never really gets easier, or works, or ever seems like it’s going to stop.

There will be time for everyone to rest before Black comes knocking on their doors (a moot point, given the soundproofedness of them) and slipping a note beneath them. He needed the respite too, and they needed to prepare food, and… he still thinks it’s a little weird to have a party after a trial, but he’s starting to really understand why it’s not a bad idea, either. ]

[Name],

Misa would’ve wanted us to keep a smile on our faces, or at least put a smile somewhere. There’s a pancake bar up in the chapel, if you’d like to come by and make a few happen. If you don't want to come, that's fine, too. The offer's open all night.

Ever yours,
Black

[ …the ending is something he’s never quite shaken, unfortunately.

Those that make their way up to the chapel will, indeed, find a pancake bar, courtesy of Yosuke and Stan (because Black never feels that hungry after trials and someone needs to stress bake here). That is, there are pancakes! There are syrups, whipped cream, fruits, berries, candies, etc! Sprinkles! Hot chocolate, ice cream… everything you could want for your build-your-own-pancake masterpiece. It’s all set up on some tables shoved against the chapel’s walls.

…special Stancakes (or pancakes with a hint of Stan in them, aka some of his hair that might’ve gotten in there accidentally, whoops) are also available.

There’s also alcohol—dessert wines mostly, to pair with their overwhelming sugar bias, but there’s some ordinary stuff there too. Pancake bar.

The framed photos are where they’ve always been on the center area, along with their matching stuffed animals. …or most of them; some haven’t been made, some pictures haven’t been put up, you get the idea. ]

Comments

[prismbloom]

-- Do you mean that the more we're cheered on, and the more these incidents happen, the more discouraged we'll get?

[penduli]

[ A nod. ]

Like, that it'll just feel like it's getting more and more pointless. Is there really a reason to keep trying if nothing changes week after week? [ ...I'm so sorry Aqua you did not deserve the Vault's youngest cynic for company tonight. ]

...that's how it feel like it might end up, anyway.

[prismbloom]

[ ... ]

Black. [ Placing a hand on his shoulder here... ] It may seem that way sometimes, but we can't give up. For everyone who's lost their lives here, we can't stop trying.

It's difficult. Sometimes, it seems impossible. But I don't believe that it is, in the end.

[penduli]

[ It must be really nice to be a shounen protag. ]

At least one of us'll walk away with stories to tell about everyone else, right?

[ ...he's not wrong but fuck is that morbid or what. ]

[prismbloom]

[ ... Ouch. ]

I... suppose it would be a way to keep everyone's memory alive.

[ ... Morbid and cynical, meet optimistic and determined. ]

But it won't be just one person--I'm certain of that.

[penduli]

I hope you're right.

[ And at least he sounds like he means it? ...he might be cynical, but it'd be nice for more than one person to get out. ]

...I don't see how—it isn't like we've made a lot of headway into figuring anything out—but all the same, I hope you're right.

[prismbloom]

[ ... she hopes so, too. ]

If we had an idea of the Kingmaker's identity, then maybe we would have better luck finding answers.

[penduli]

I wonder.

[ ... ] Do any of the books in the library have names in them? Most people write theirs in the front or the back so it can be found if it ever gets lost or stolen, even in personal collections like what we seem to have here.

[prismbloom]

Not the ones I've read, but it's certainly something to look for.

[penduli]

I guess I'll check it out the next time I go to pick up some books.

[ ...there's no way he'd be that careless, but it's worth a look anyway, isn't it? ]

We could always try asking him more personal questions, too, but we'd have to ask them in a way that doesn't make him think they're personal questions.

[prismbloom]

It's worth a try... but falling for a trick like that doesn't strike me as the type of thing he'd do.

[penduli]

If you make it worth his time, he'll answer almost anything... I assume, since Miss Sigrun always has an answer from him. Maybe she phrases them in an interesting way?

[prismbloom]

It might be a good idea to ask her for advice, then. She does speak with him often.

[penduli]

[ Hmmm. ]

She seems tired tonight, so... I'll ask her about it later. [ ...really they're all tired tonight, it'd be better to save any questions for the morning or the day after that. ] Have you talked to him much?